Overview
A very common problem that people have are back issues. In most cases, the back issues that people have are not due to any type of serious disease. In fact, most people who have back issues will find that this pain will leave relatively soon. In most cases, using over the counter pain relief and changing the activity level you have will help.
Of those people who have back pain, almost half of these people are going to have more than one instance of back pain. In order to start managing any back problems that you may have, the first step is to rule out any medical issues that could be causing this pain, such as an infection or fracture.
Back Problem Types
There are several different types of back problems. Some of these problems are:
- Injuries to the soft tissue
- Disc problem
- Postural stress
- Nerve irritation of the sciatica nerve
- Structural issues
- Disease
- Fracture
Lifestyle Issue that May Cause Back Pain
In most cases, it is lifestyle issue that cause back pain. This includes:
- Being overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Poor posture
- Stress
- Sitting for long periods at a time
- Bad work practices
Your physiotherapist or doctor will generally be able to establish back pain based on your symptoms and by observing you. A physiotherapist is a medical expert who helps in sustaining and developing your movement. Usually, further assessments are not necessary. Your doctor might suggest more examinations if you have other symptoms. These may consist of:
- An MRI scan
- Blood tests
- An X-ray
Preventing Back Pain
In order to prevent back pain, it is going to require that you make some changes in your life. These changes are often recommended:
- Regular exercise, meaning that you should do something for 30 minutes every day in order to help strengthen the back muscles.
- Always perform lifting and carrying safely: You should squat down and lift with your legs to avoid injury to the back.
- Ensure your body is at a healthy weight
- Always sit with your back straight, which will mean being mindful of your posture when sitting frequently.
- Take breaks for what you are doing, whether you are standing or sitting for long periods of time. This break can help to ensure that you are not rigid and that your back does get some flexing from time to time. You should try to take a break every hour.
- Learn how to relax so that you can relieve stress which often causes muscle tension and back pain.
- Ensure that what you are sleeping on is supporting our back, and try to avoid sleeping on your stomach which causes more back pain.